Spend a day exploring Corpus Christi on foot and catching rare Pokémon. Staff photo by JoAnna Kopp
Surely you haven’t missed news of loose Pokémon caught around the world. Cute little creatures such as Pikachu, Charmander and Squirtle can be found right in your backyard with the new game Pokémon GO, which is available for download for IOS and Android.
Corpus Christi is crawling with the little monsters. People of all ages are delighting in finding them. The thing that makes Pokémon GO so unlike any other mobile game is that it’s based on real time and location. It's called “augmented reality.” You can’t sit on your couch and catch Pokémon; you have to explore the world around you.
Looking to start your Pokémon GO adventure? Check out Shoreline Drive in Corpus Christi. Pokéstops can be found all along the seawall. Other notable places to catch Pokémon are at La Palmera Mall, Cole Park, local churches, post offices and public libraries.
The game can be confusing when you first log on. Here are some tips to go pro at Pokémon GO and catch ’em all:
• Pokéstops are where you can pick up important objects such as Pokéballs, incense, magic potions and more. Pokéstops refresh every five minutes, so you can get quite the refill if you hang out a while.
• Hatch eggs in incubators. As you walk, the app tracks your location, and the incubator works on hatching your eggs. Wear a comfortable pair of shoes.
• Throw a curveball. When you’re catching a Pokémon, put your thumb on the Pokéball. Swirl it in a counter-clockwise direction and then flick it to the right of your screen. Not only does this give you a boost in experience points (XP), it also decreases the chance that your Pokémon will escape.
• Pokémon GO drains your battery. Unfortunately, you have to have the app open at all times for it to count the distance you’ve walked. In settings, turn off music and sound effects. Turn on the battery saver mode, and then physically turn your phone upside down. This makes the screen turn black, but the app still runs and saves precious battery life.
• If you see a Pokéstop that has pink flower petals flowing from it, stick around. This means someone attached a lure to it, which attracts rare Pokémon for 30 minutes.
• Throughout the game, you’ll find rare Lucky Eggs that are sparkly and blue. Once activated, the eggs double your XP for 30 minutes. Transforming Pokémon increases your XP the most. Wait to use your lucky egg until you have plenty to transform — you could go up one to three levels in just one sitting.
• Got Netflix? Watch the first ever season of Pokémon from 1998 by searching “Indigo League.”
Millennials will delight in the nostalgia, and young ones will learn what the craze is all about.
